Nashville-based duo Arbor North not only capture hearts with their divine vocals, but also with their true and pure love story. Michael Boris & AC Jones have a shared Christian faith that they are keen to share with a UK & US audience, and intend to do so through how they act and what they do and, of course, the songs they write and perform together.

New release, You, Me, and Jesus, was initially written by the now husband and wife duo, with the primary purpose of being the soundtrack for the first dance at their wedding. The song is a simplistic, meaningful and solemn vow to stand by each other and to always rest in their faith. The sensitively managed production complements the purity of the song and allows the vocals and the message to lead the way in connecting with the audience. The clarity of the strings which flow through the track are a true compliment to the vocals, which flow easily across the emotive lyrics. 

AC and Michael acknowledge that their Christian faith isn’t necessarily shared with every member of their audience, but You, Me, and Jesus spans religious divides. They hope that other people will connect with the track as a love song in its own right, making it an intrinsic part of the musical backdrop of their special day.

The title, “You, Me, and Jesus”, is a phrase that we started to say to each other during our time as a long-distance couple before we were married. We’d end all of our letters and cards with it when we’d write to each other, and on days when the distance made us miss each other even more than usual, we’d use the saying as a comfort. When we decided to write a wedding song, it was clear that we needed to use this little motto of ours as a title. We finally landed on exactly what we wanted the song to say, and opted for a simply-stated set of vows to each other that, at the very end, goes beyond “’til death do us part”. 

The powerful lyrics “Oh, we’ll have a few fights, who’s wrong and who’s right, but I want you to know, at the end of the day, I’m always here to stay. No, you’ll never be alone” are eminently relatable for any couple and the single stands out as a ballad with a strong meaning. 

When working on the production for this song, both AC and Michael envisaged acoustic instrumentation with a tender, somber, and almost Celtic style fiddle (performed by Kyle Pudenz). They felt that the somewhat stripped down production would allow the words to be the main focus and give the song a more intimate feel – an aim they have met to perfection. Recorded at The Blue Grotto, Nashville, You, Me, and Jesus is a love song to span genres, bringing people together as it does so. 

With northern grit and southern charm, Arbor North is the result of a divine appointment, decades in the making. Michael Boris and AC Jones’s story is one of being in the right place at exactly the right time, when following your heart and instinct can lead to something spectacular. The strength of their Christian faith has played a huge role in their relationship and continues to guide them as they navigate life as newlyweds and band-partners.  

Both Michael and AC were brought up within Christian families, and it is this which has underpinned their belief and love of God throughout both hardships and good times. Michael’s faith was tested during a terrible divorce, after which he was taught the strength of the Lord’s healing and the value of the people in his life who helped guide him through the dark night of the soul. 

AC, along with her family experienced some very painful (and at times, even very dark) situations in their own church, a period that was incredibly testing on their faith. But it was the journey through these times which opened their hearts and minds to realising the full power of the Lord and whilst people, buildings, organisations may fail, the Lord will always remain steadfast.

Though born and raised in different cities, Michael is sure that it was an act of divine intervention which brought him to meet AC at a music industry event in Nashville, Tennessee at the beginning of 2020. While their meeting was brief, the connection between them was undeniable. Within a few months they were committed to a long-distance relationship and more than a year’s worth of text messages, phone calls and FaceTime calls paved the path to them saying “I do” on a beautiful Sunday in October 2021.

The duo make their music debut with new single ‘All The Right Mistakes’. Co-written with esteemed Nashville songwriter, Bill DiLuigi, the lyrics explore the ways in which each one of life’s twists and turns, all of our choices and mistakes, are a part of a divine purpose. They are clear that, as Arbor North, they are musical artists with a Christian faith, as opposed to Christian music artists. As such, they reach an audience, the majority of whom may not have a strong faith. They intend to share the love of God not by what they preach, but by how they act and what they do, hoping that through our music, they can spread hope and joy in a way that mends hurting hearts and encourages broken spirits.

“When Bill suggested the title ’All The Right Mistakes’ it hit us so powerfully right out of the gate, because the story of how we found each other was the result of two roads, once paved with heartbreak, pain, and yes… mistakes, merging to give us the happy ending we had always prayed for.”

In a reverse timeline to many other married musical duos, it wasn’t their music that made them fall in love but rather their love that brought their music together. Singing together in the kitchen for fun, the newlyweds felt an incredible compatibility with their voices and discovered the same chemistry when they sat down for writing sessions together, which were fuelled by their shared love for coffee. With a sonic landscape that combines their shared influences of modern country, rock, soul, with a little bit of funk, and heartfelt, autobiographical lyrics, Arbor North promises music that is fun, memorable, and nostalgic.

Arbor North are delighted to be one of the first US acts announced for Millport Country Music Festival this summer and are excited to make their debut UK performance at the festival on 20th August. More UK dates are forthcoming.